


I See You In My Dreams (And Nightmares, Too)

by Storine



Series: Making the World Blind [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asgard, Darcy swears a lot, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Rating may go higher, Slow Burn, set during Thor 2, tasertricks - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-01 19:47:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6533995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storine/pseuds/Storine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part 2 of "Making the Whole World Blind" (read "Sleeping With One Eye Open" first, to understand the references!)<br/>Set during Thor 2, canon divergence.</p><p>Darcy had seriously hoped she would never see Dude again. After all, being his hostage for 36 hours, two years ago, hadn't been a piece of cake. However, fate apparently had its own plan regarding their situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Back to business, babe!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back, baby!  
> Okay, for those of you who have read my first work, "Sleeping With One Eye Open", I KNOW I said I would work on part 2 soon. Well, because I'm me, "soon" was a lie. I'm sorry.  
> But here I am, ready to serve you part 2 of my first series ever.  
> I am currently finishing my semester, but I will try to post a new chapter every day (this time, I'm not promising anything, though).  
> Enjoy! xoxo
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the MCU.

Darcy had to admit, science could be awesome.

Yeah, sure, the usual stuff was boring as fuck: writing down numbers in a freaking Excel graph – yeah, an _Excel_ graph, for fuck’s sake, wouldn’t you think an astrophysicist working with (not for, _duh_ ) S.H.I.E.L.D. would go for some more advanced programs? Think again, folks – was not particularly exciting.

Wait, what was she talking about? That thought was particularly tangled, but –

_Goddamn it Darce! Think straight, would you?_

Anyways, as of now, Darcy was really pleased with science. And physics. And whatever space-stuff was going on.

_Because stuff was literally falling from the sky and disappearing_.

With a quick glance towards her intern, Ian, she was pleased to see him flabbergasted (what a pretty word, she should use it more often) about the whole ordeal.

“See, my young padawan, this is the kind of stuff we’re dealing with. That, and alien”, she explained proudly, tapping him lightly on the back.

However, the whole thing was cut quite short when Ian, smiling like a kid on Christmas morning, threw something metallic into the void.

Something metallic that never fell back.

“Were those… the car keys?” asked Darcy.

Judging by the sorry look Ian was giving her, it probably was.

_Great._

Now they’d have to take a cab (meaning, they’d have to _wait for_ the cab), or take the bus (sooo not happening), or walk home. Absolutely fantas-fucking-tic.

“Where’s Jane?” asked Ian, following a kinda pissed Darcy out of the building.

Darcy froze on her tracks, before slowly turning around. Amaze-balls. Her boss had probably wandered off somewhere, doing some weird sciency-stuff by herself – which couldn’t mean good news, of course, because weird sciency-stuff always meant someone was getting hurt.

“I’ll go get her,” Darcy explained as she made her way back to where she saw Jane last. “Make sure the kids go home, okay? We wouldn’t want them falling through one of these port –”

The remaining words of her sentence disappeared with her, as she stumbled upon a rock and fell _through_ the floor.

_SHIT. Should have stayed in bed, should have stayed in bed, should have stayed in bed!_

Her fall did not last long: Darcy’s knees made contact with the floor (not a rocky, cracked one, but a smooth, warm floor) and she hissed in pain.

“Motherfucker!” she yelled.

A gasp made her raise her head, and she froze.

A couple of feet from Darcy, stood a woman clothed with a luxurious gown. Her hair, a gorgeous shade of blond, was cascading down her back in waves, half of it pinned up. She was looking at Darcy with her mouth slightly open.

And, right behind the woman, looking paler than before, was Dude.

Darcy stood up, pointing an accusing finger in his direction, while narrowing her eyes.

“YOU!” she said.

And, because Darcy thought this was absolutely lame (especially in front of the woman who was so _stunning_ she probably was a goddess – which could be absolutely true, because Darcy probably was on Asgard, and if Thor was a god, then…), she added:

“You _so_ need a haircut. You look like –”

And, for the second time in only a couple of seconds, Darcy was cut short, thanks to an arm that appeared from somewhere in-between the floor and the ceiling. An arm apparently reaching for something.

_Oh God, please be Ian, please be Ian, please…_

Shouts erupted from behind her and, judging by the tone they were using, they were not especially happy to have an intruder there. Not that Darcy could have helped in the situation, but something told her that, if she was found, it wouldn’t turn out good for her. So, without any further hesitation, Darcy jumped as high as she could and grabbed the hand, screaming as she was lifted back to the hangar. She and Ian rolled on the floor, away from the portal, small rocks scratching her hands in the process.

“Shit!”

Seriously, she needed a bubble bath after that. Like, a scorching hot one. With a beer, a scented candle, and maybe a People – or whatever equivalent they were selling here. Maybe watching a couple episodes of Downtown Abbey wouldn’t hurt either – she was in London, after all, she had to embrace the British stuff!

Once Darcy realized she truly was back on Earth, she let out a loud sigh. Ian was awkwardly smiling at her, his right arm still on her wrist, the other, lost somewhere a little too South for Darcy’s taste.

“Hands off, Casanova.”

Ian stood up quickly, apologising something Darcy didn’t care to hear. Freaking out her intern was fun, but had started to lose its charm after a couple of days.

“Damn, I didn’t know you were that strong. Where do you work out?”

“What?” Ian asked, apparently not following her.

Darcy shrugged. She had urgent matters to attend to.

Because if she had fallen into a portal, Darcy was 110% sure Jane had _willingly_ walked into one (being a crazy scientist and all).

She had to find her friend.

Unfortunately for her, Jane would take her sweet-ass time to reappear, meaning Darcy had to call the police _before_ they decided to simply show up and arrest them all.

Something was telling her that Jane hadn’t ended up on Asgard as she had (that something being the crazy _what the fuck_ stuff that her friend was shouting from her body to a police officer, seriously what the shit).

But Thor had showed up, being all sexy as usual, and had simply told them that he would take care of Jane, before storming off (or flying off?) back to his world, Jane in his arms.

“Why do they always leave me behind? I’m tired of cleaning everyone’s shit!”

Although, when Darcy turned around, and her eyes fell on the poor Ian, who didn’t know what was happening (who could blame him, right), she remembered why she had wanted an intern in the first place. And Ian proved himself to be even more useful than she thought when he called his uncle, the freaking _mayor_ , who cleared the whole thing with the police. Darcy could now go enjoy her bubble bath and booze, just as she had planned.

Well, the day may have been crazy, but it hadn’t been an _all bad_ kinda crazy.


	2. Bad luck is persistent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who should be studying right now?  
> I'm a master procrastinator. At least, I'm writing something, hehehehe.  
> This work is not beta'd, so please excuse any typos and/or grammar errors.
> 
> Enjoy xox

“It is happening faster than we thought”, whispered Frigga.

Her son paced around her, having apparently recovered from seeing a Midgardian appearing from nowhere.

“There is nothing that can be done to stop it, and you know it,” Loki replied, hands behind his back.

Frigga turned back to him, a soft smile painted on her lips.

“That Midgardian knows you”, she added.

Loki rolled her eyes.

“As do most of Midgard’s population. Sadly, not for the reasons I wanted.”

The queen ignored this last remark, slowly nodding, a twinkle in her eye – of hope, maybe?

“Oh no, Loki, she _knows_ you. And the feeling appears to be mutual.”

She closed the distance separating them, reaching for his face with her hand, but stopping before their skins would touch – not that they would, of course.

“What happened to you, my son?”

For a moment, Frigga honestly thought his walls would break. She had worked every day since his return – and imprisonment – to crack the whatever shield he had built in his mind, refusing to allow anyone to see past the _monster_ who had tried to take over Midgard. She knew him; and she couldn’t accept the idea that her son, her precious son she had raised and taught everything that she knew, was gone forever.

But Loki shook his head and turned again, away from her. Frigga sighed.

But before she evaporated from Loki’s cell, she let a small laugh escape her lips.

“She is right: you could use a haircut.”

 

*

* *

 

Finding Erik had been easier than Darcy had initially thought, as well as passing for his daughter. But understanding his crazy-talk while trying _not_ to focus on his boxers, that was another story.

“Can’t he put pants on?” whispered Ian, looking anywhere but in Erik’s direction.

Darcy sighted. She couldn’t blame her intern – he was _just_ getting used to the crazy shit happening, after all. Nor could she blame Erik, the poor having been brainwashed… mind-controlled… mind-fucked? All of them at the same time? Yeah, probably. Not putting pants on was one of the less disruptive consequence Darcy could have imagined, so she would have to do with it – until Jane’s return, of course. And Darcy couldn’t help but feel a burning sensation of guilt every time Erik would look up, apparently lost in thought, trying to focus his attention back to reality.

Dude had done _this_ to Erik. Poor Erik. What had he done to deserve such a fate? Meanwhile, Darcy had eaten grilled cheese and watched freaking Star Wars – so much for being hostage to a crazy god.

(Well, to her defense, he _had_ hurt her as well, but Dude hadn’t left any lasting effect of his visit on Earth on her.)

At that precise moment, the door to their apartment flew open, letting Jane and Thor in.

“Jane!” screamed Darcy, relieved.

Yeah, Jane had definitely been on Asgard: she was wearing the same kind of clothing the woman next to Dude had, the day before.

“Damn, you look good! Are you alright?” asked Darcy.

But Jane walked right passed her.

“No time for the small talk. Erik, I need whatever data you’ve got, please.”

_Okay, let’s get back to work, I guess. Time to save the world-worlds, again… Seriously, that bath wasn’t enough. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s better send us all on an all-paid vacation, when we’re done. I want the sun, the sea, the sand, and freaking cocktails._

“Your brother’s not coming, is he?” suddenly asked Erik.

“Loki is… dead,” answered Thor, a sad expression on his face.

“Oh, thank God!”

And then, as he realized what he had just said, Erik added “I’m am so sorry.”

Darcy jumped of her seat.

“What? How come? I just saw him yesterday; he was just fine!”

Everyone froze, except for Ian.

“What did you say?” asked Thor, brows furrowed.

“Darcy?” added Jane.

The intern rolled her eyes.

“Yep, couldn’t tell you about it before you disappeared with your beau, but yeah, I fell through one of these portals, just like you did. Except I ended up on Asgard, and I saw Du- I mean, Loki, alive, in his cell.”

Thor sighed, while Jane grabbed her friend by her shoulders.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

Darcy shook her off of her, standing up.

“ _Duh_. I said I saw him, not that he attacked me or whatever. Anyway, he’s dead, so what’s the problem? We’ve got more important shit to focus on, right?”

Jane seemed inclined to say something more, but Erik cut them off, dragging the scientist back to his computer. Darcy was really thankful for that.

_Well, I guess I don’t have to worry anymore about being kidnapped again… Not that_ I did _, though. Poor Thor._

His sadness remained on his face, even though he tried to concentrate on whatever gibberish Jane and Erik were trying to convey.

_Brave man, this one._

And, before Darcy realized it, they were at Greenwich, ready for the super dope battle to save everyone’s butt (Jane insisted this title was too long and inappropriate, but Darcy had caught Erik smiling, so she was keeping it). And shit was flying everywhere.

_FUCK. Battling Dark Elves is_ SO NOT _cool!_

It also involved a lot more cardio that what Darcy was expecting, and that her lungs were used to. Yeah, controlling the portals was fun and all for Jane, but didn’t involve teleporting Darcy somewhere safe!

But everything ended well: Maleshit (that was his name, right? Whatever, it was, now) was sent far, far away, defeated, and Erik managed to save the lucky couple’s ass right before they got crushed by a freaking spaceship. All was well.

(She even had snugged Ian a bit, and damn, the guy wasn’t a bad kisser at all. She might take him out, one day, and try to see what exactly was covered by the long sleeved shirts he always favored.)

That is probably why the universe decided a happy ending wasn’t in order for everyone, and why Darcy, jogging back to her friend to hug her, slipped on something (seriously, _why the fuck_ ) and fell backward… on a nice sofa, comfy and all. A sofa that Darcy recognized immediately, for she had seen it yesterday, right behind Dude.

She was back on Asgard, more precisely, in Dude’s cell.

And, by looking up, Darcy realized the Convergence (was it how Jane was calling it?) was probably over, because the portal had closed right behind her.

_You gotta be kidding me… Seriously?!_

“FUCK!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments, guys! I really appreciate it! And the kudos and all. You're so nice to me :) xoxo


	3. All by myself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I just use a Celine Dion song as the title of my chapter? I believe I did.  
> Nothing can stop me now. MUHAHAHA.  
> Enjoy xoxo

To say that Darcy was panicking would be a lie. She was utterly pissed, yeah, but relatively calm, given the circumstances. (That state of calm could be due to exhaustion due to running around Greenwich and throwing shit on the cell’s magical walls to (unsuccessfully) break them.)

Of course, calling out for help (or even just attention, really, anything) was the first thing Darcy did once she realized that, this time, super-strong Ian wouldn’t come to her rescue through the portal. However, her throat had begun to hurt after a while, and no one dared to hear her. Really, where were the guards when you needed them?

Now that Darcy was properly out of breath, she took some time to observe her surroundings. The hallways looked ridiculous; last time she visited (yeah, “visited”, damn right), they were immaculate; today, they looked positively destroyed. Might have something to do with the invasion Thor talked about. Honestly, Darcy couldn’t be sure; she had tried to listen to his rendition of events, _really tried_ , but she was exhausted, and Thor was using a language she _truly_ couldn’t focus on, unless she was wide awake (thanks to, at least, four or five cups of coffee), which currently, wasn’t the case.

Jane had been talking a little bit of her crazy day on Asgard but, as she had stated, “small talk could wait”. Basically, Darcy knew only this: shit had been going on here as well, the queen and Dude (Loki – oups) were dead, and everyone was ignoring her.

Well, she had seen worst.

_I should stop saying that; everytime I do, something turns around and bites my ass._

So Darcy decided to do the only thing that was guarantying time would fly by: she decided to take a nap.

 _How freaking unheroic of me. Hey, Darce, what did you do once you and all the freaking heroes saved the world? Oh, I took a nap, of course. You see, I need my beauty sleep, am I right? Do you think you can achieve all of_ this _naturally? Being a hot babe takes work, thank you very much._

Pathetic.

Anyway, Darcy had nothing better to do, at the moment, so she curled up on the sofa she had landed on, after having grabbed a blanket and kicked off her boots. She would have been way more comfortable without her jeans (skinny as fuck, but showing off her ass just right), but Darcy wasn’t about to have any Asgardian walking in on her in panties, thanks but no thanks. Plus, her taser was poking her hard on the hip, but she refused to take it off, simply switching the side she was curled on.

After her little “adventure” in Canada, as Darcy was referring to, she was _never_ leaving her weapon at any border, any time soon. Thanks to S.H.I.E.L.D., she only had to show her special ID to authorities and she was now free to cross any border with her favorite, miniature Pikachu. Next time she would cross a kidnapper, or terrorist, or big meanie coming right after her, she would be ready to shock the shit out of them.

And, as uncomfortable as her clothes were, Darcy found herself dozing off after only a couple of deep breaths. She truly was worn out.

 

*

* *

 

“Your Majesty”, said a guard, bowing down in front of Odin.

The king of Asgard nodded to his knight, which raised back to his feet. The whole palace was currently working on cleaning the mess Malekith and his henchmen had brought with them. The prisoners were just now going back to their respective cells, after the underground prison had been secured again.

“Your Majesty, the Convergence appears to have stopped, not long ago. However, it left something in Loki’s previous cell.”

Odin stood from his throne, still gripping his staff.

“Something?” he echoed.

The guard bowed his head.

“I should say someone. More precisely, a Midgardian, your Majesty. She is currently sleeping there. We don’t know for how long she’s been there, given that the guards were reassigned somewhere else, as you instructed.”

“A Midgardian? Are you sure?” the king asked.

“Yes, your Majesty.”

After a pause, Odin silently nodded.

“Find her unoccupied quarters for now. As soon as my son comes back to the palace, I will discuss the matter with him. You may leave.”

The guard bowed down one last time, and exited the throne room without any further due. Odin followed him out after a moment, heading for his own quarters. Once he was behind locked doors, he removed the enchantment masking his true features and revealed his traits. Smiling to his reflection in the mirror in front of him, Loki thought that everything was going way better than he had originally planned. Not only had he got the throne he always wanted – and the adoration he deserved, which Odin truly didn’t – but, if he hoped correctly, miss Darcy Lewis was currently trapped on Asgard, without Thor knowing about it.

He did remember Darcy; she had made quite the impression. Even though his memories were still blurry, thanks to Thanos and the Chitauri, he couldn’t forget the strange little Midgardian whom he had encountered, when he had arrived on Earth.

Oh, how wonderful. He was about to have some well deserved fun. The thought made him chuckle lightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Gasps*  
> Of course, I bet everyone has seen it coming. I mean, it's not exactly a big surprise, right?  
> See you tomorrow xoxo


	4. Be our guest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beauty and the Beast reference as chapter's title? You bet.  
> My exam is tomorrow - however, this chapter has been written two days ago (I'm the boss).  
> Hope you enjoy! Thanks again for all the kudos/comments/bookmarks, it means a lot to me :)

Darcy awoke with a start, her hand shouting for her taser. However, once she took in her surroundings again (still on Asgard, apparently), she relaxed. That state didn’t last long, as the magical wall keeping her in the cell suddenly vanished. Darcy jumped from the sofa, facing the two guards in front of her.

“Hum, hi?” she tried.

“Good evening, Midgardian. We are to escort you to private quarters, where you will reside until the return of Thor”, explained the one on the left.

Darcy let out a sigh.

“Great! Thanks! For a second there, I thought – wait, never mind what I thought. Don’t wanna give you guys some crazy ideas, right?” she joked.

Well, apparently, Asgard’s guards (okay, that sounds _stupid_ , ‘Agard’s guards’, haha) didn’t have a sense of humour. Unless they simply didn’t think Darcy’s humour was funny – which would be crazy.

Anyway, she wasn’t about to say anything on it – for once, people had actually _explained_ some shit to her, which was great. In movies, they never tell anybody anything, and that always lead to some misunderstanding completely irrelevant.

_Whatever_. _I’ll have my own place to crash for a while. Always better than being in a cell, especially his. God, I’m having shivers, just thinking about it. Focus, Darce!_

So Darcy, after taking a second to stretch, followed the guards with a little bounce in her pace. Seriously, the whole thing could have been way worse than it presently was.

And when guard 1 opened the doors to her quarters, Darcy choke on her breath.

“Daaaaaamn”, she simply said, looking around with amazement.

The room was the size of the whole apartment she was sharing with Jane. There was probably an adjacent bathroom by the look of it. The drapes and bedding were luxurious textiles she couldn’t recognize, decorated by multiples designs (still, unrecognizable), in a gorgeous creamy colour. And the bed itself was worthy of freaking royalty, with a thick mattress and multitude of cushions. The windows (forget windows, those were freaking doors) opened to a balcony, showing the beautiful asgardian evening sky.

Once Darcy recovered from her stupor, she turned around to thank the guards, but they had both left. She shrugged, deciding she deserved another bath after all she’d been through. She could really use a change of clothes as well – Darcy could have sworn she had Dark Elves’ blood on her jacket. Decided, she grabbed a couple of clothes from the dresser and headed for the bathroom.

When Darcy emerged from there, a while later (she did have fun, trying all these amazing dresses before settling for a purple one), another guard was standing near the door, ready to escort her to dinner.

Statement which, let’s just say, left Darcy completely stunned.

“Is Thor back already?” she asked.

As much as she loved living the life of a princess, she was eager to head back home. But the guard shook his head.

“The All-father wishes to present his respect to you, tonight”, he explained.

That particular sentence made Darcy raise her eyebrows.

“Excuse me?”

Yeah, she may not have followed everything Thor had mentioned, but she sure had heard Jane say that her beau’s dad had compared her to a _goat_. Not that Darcy had anything against goats (she loved animals and all), but being compared to one wouldn’t count as a compliment.

And why _the hell_ did Odin wanted to ‘present his respect’ to her? That was really strange. Like, super-dope ass strange.

Even stranger than that, the king was not present at dinner. (Okay, to his defense, the guard had not said _specifically_ that the Odin would be there, but still.) Instead, Darcy recognized two of the Warriors Three, as well as Lady Sif, already sitting and enjoying what looked like a feast for an entire army.

The cute blond guy stood up, making his way towards Darcy, but was stopped right in his tracks by Sif.

“She is Thor’s friend”, she explained.

_Oh yeah, that’s right, he’s quite the charmer._

Darcy walked right passed Fandral, favoring a seat next to Volstagg instead.

“Sorry, man, I’m so _not_ into mustaches.”

He laughed audibly, hands on his hips.

“A man cannot give a proper welcome to a lady anymore?” he asked.

Volstagg almost spitted his drink (beer? Wine?) all over the table. Darcy gave him small taps on his back.

“All good, man, give me a beer and it’ll be fine”, she managed.

Damn, was she really going to eat with Thor’s best friends, the one who literally all had “kickass” as a second name?

_Okay, this is turning out to be a really fun vacation. Forget Florida; this is the shit!_

“Wait… Aren’t you guys supposed to be, I don’t know, imprisoned for high treason, or something?” she realized. “You helped Jane and Thor escape!”

Fandral passed her a cup of alcohol, winking at her.

“As soon as the Convergence was over, we were all pardoned, my lady”, he explained.

This made Darcy raise an eyebrow.

“Pardoned? Like, Odin pardoned you for high treason? For real?”

“The All-father is not as cruel as people like to describe him”, added Sif. “He has been ruling Asgard for long; he is a good king. We would have accepted any punishment he would have judged necessary.”

“Are we still talking about the man who banished Thor on Earth? Shit, he was mean to my friend while she was here!” said Darcy.

She still couldn’t believe the king had had a change of heart overnight. Fandrall nodded.

“His sadness may have had a role in his clemency; with the queen –”

“Enough!” yelled Sif, slamming her fist on the table. “He is our king, Fandral. His sadness is shared by all of us. Don’t speak of it so lightly.”

Surprisingly enough, the blond man did shut up, and returned to his meal.

_Okay… awkward…_

The whole ordeal was, however, quickly brushed over once Volstagg decided to share a story of their adventures with Darcy. Not long after, she did the same, telling them about the time she tased the god of thunder.

“I mean, at first, I did panic”, she said, taking a sip of whatever was in her cup (which was absolutely amazing), “but overall, I think I handled everything pretty nicely.”

This had the whole table laughing for several minutes.


	5. Moonage daydream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> David Bowie song as chapter title.  
> We goin' on a roooooll, you all!  
> Enjoy xoxo

The dinner had ended nicely, without any signs of Odin, which Darcy was truly grateful for. Although, given that she was currently a little tipsy ( _not drunk_ , really, just tipsy), she probably wouldn’t care if he had joined them. But the king was apparently set on being a part of her evening, as the guards escorted Darcy outside, where a figure already stood, waiting for her.

“Guys, that’s not my room”, she remarked, half-joking.

They left; she was tempted to follow them, until the king turned to face her, his lips up in a soft smile.

“Miss Lewis, of Midgard”, he simply said.

She looked him up and down quickly: beard, long hair, armor, and… A golden eye patch.

_What’s with the eye patch? Damn, big bosses apparently all lose their eyes; first Fury, now the king… Oh no, wait, Odin’s way older, right? So he lost it first, I guess… but when did he lose his? Like, seriously, who set the trend? Hum, that shall remain a mystery._

Still, she knew the whole thing wouldn’t leave her mind for the night. That was what happened when she drank: she would focus on one single aspect of anything, really, and keep thinking about it until she a) had found an answer to it or b) passed out from keeping on drinking. And, as Darcy was not particularly inclined on drinking alone while in the middle of nowhere (technically, not ‘nowhere’, but to her, it was), she knew the eye patch was going to be the main attraction for the rest of the night.

And then, realizing she had been staring at the king the whole time, without saying a word, Darcy quickly did a little curtesy, her head down.

“Hum, hi, Odin – oh, shit, I mean, your Majesty? Is that correct?”

The king chuckled lightly, closing the distance between them.

“Odin is absolutely fine, miss Lewis. It is a pleasure to have you among us.”

“What?”

Okay, was Odin high on something? Like, really, this _was not_ the man Jane had described to her.

_Whatever. Enjoy it will it lasts, Darce_.

“I’m sure it was quite a shock to find yourself in this realm”, Odin explained.

Darcy crossed her arms on herself, hugging her shoulders. Damn, the night was way colder than she had expected.

“No, it’s alright, I’ve been here before. You know, Convergence and all. Bummer, I couldn’t go back by myself, this time”, she said.

Odin lightly put his hand on her back, motioning towards the warm castle. With a sigh, Darcy went back inside.

_Oh, we’re taking a walk, now? Okay. It’s fine, Darce. You’re just on Asgard, making small talk with the freaking god-king of the place. But seriously, is the eyepatch like, a pirate thing? I bet he still has his eye. He’s just wearing the patch to throw off his enemies. Damn, that’d be dope!_

The All-father’s voice grounded her back to reality.

“My son shall be back soon; Heimdall assured me of it. Thor has some urgent matters to attend to, but you shall be returned to your realm soon. I hope your stay will be enjoyable while it lasts.”

Darcy nodded.

“It is – I mean – wow, seriously. Not that the cell down there was uncomfortable, but I was expecting a prolonged stay in there. Thanks, though. The room is – well – perfect.”

“I am glad everything pleases you.”

They had walked back to her quarters and were now standing by the door. Darcy sighed.

“I thought I wouldn’t like you, given the fact that you’re kind of a douche, but –”

“A what?” interrupted Odin, furrowing his brows.

The young girl shrugged.

“I said _but_ , that’s what counts. So, as I was saying, _but_ , you seem nice enough. Sorry I misjudged you.”

Odin smiled.

_Seriously, I gotta ask about this freaking eye patch. Go, Darcy, there’s no way in hell you’ll have another chance._

“May I, hum, ask you something personal?” she risked saying, tensing her shoulders.

And, because the king didn’t appear to be taken aback, she quickly asked, before she could think of what she was saying:

“What happened to your eye?”

The All-father reached for his eye patch. Darcy took a step back.

“No, no, I mean, you don’t need to show me, I –”

“It happened a long time ago,” Odin said, voice light. “In battle.”

“Oh.”

_‘Oh’? Seriously, Darce? Shit, girl, you’re out of it_.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have –”

“No harm in asking, miss Lewis. Don’t doubt that my opponent lost his fair share in exchange of this eye.”

Darcy scratched her head, massaging her scalp. Yeah, she would definitely have a headache, tomorrow morning. Not that she had drank that much, but mixing her stress of the last few days with whatever ale she had drank apparently wasn’t the brightest idea in the world.

And, even though Darcy was growing more tired by the second, she just couldn’t stop talking.

“Funny thing you say that. I mean, not funny in the sense ‘oh, you lost an eye, haha’, like I would never, you know? I mean, we have a saying on Earth – hum, Midgard, about that. Don’t know about you guys, but we say –”

“An eye for an eye, isn’t it so?” finished the king.

Darcy chuckled.

“Yeah, the whole thing is a bit longer, actually. There are different versions, one involving teeth as well, but you get the idea. Anyway, thanks for the talk, but I’m going to bed; I’m exhausted.”

And then, her hand reaching for the doorknob, Darcy froze on the spot.

_Fuck. It can’t be…_

No, it probably was a coincidence, right? Odin was a couple of thousands years old; he surely had heard these words before, right? Yeah, that’s what she had to believe. It couldn’t be Dude: Dude was _dead_ , Thor and Jane had said so. Even though, as she remembered, she had kept saying these exact words to him, when she had been his hostage.

Swallowing hard, Darcy bid the king good night, before slipping into her quarters. And of course, because her luck totally was out of town, she closed the door on the king’s foot.


	6. It's like poetry: it rhymes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance: this chapter took longer to upload because I just couldn't write it. Sorry. Also, I still have exams, so updates might be delayed a bit - I will try to keep up with the 'one chapter a day' rhythm, but I don't guarantee anything.  
> Thanks again for the wonderful feedback I get from you :) enjoy! xoxo

“Miss Lewis, I believe our conversation is not over, yet.”

_Fuck it._

“GUARDS!” she yelled, half-expecting it to work.

_Only in the movies, Darce. Forget it._

The door slammed open, surprising Darcy with the strength used by the king. She stumbled backward, and fell on her bum, while letting out a shriek.

“Back off!” Darcy screamed, getting back on her feet.

Odin closed the door, and by the sound that followed, he was probably locking it with some magical, jumbo-mumbo stuff. When he turned around, he was suddenly facing a very pissed (and scared) Darcy, and her taser. He took a step towards her.

“You dare to raise your weapon against I, Odin, king of Asgard, All-father of this realm? Do you think you can harm me, mortal? I am a god.”

“All-father _my ass_ ,” she replied. “And let me tell you that this stuff knocked out Thor pretty easily.”

And, with that, she fired her taser against a god. For the second time in – honestly – not so long. She was probably the only human – Midgardian, mortal, girl, woman, whatever, take your pick – that could say so, right?

But Darcy hadn’t thought of something: a taser did great against gods fallen on Earth, wearing a t-shirt and being disoriented, _as well as_ stripped of their powers. However, against a god wearing an armor, and apparently very aware of what was going on, _and_ full of magic juice, it didn’t do shit. Especially if her aim was off, like it was at the moment, thanks to the liquor that was clouding her head.

Darcy watched the electric end of her weapon rebound on Odin’s chest, before falling towards to floor. A moment passed, where none of them moved. And, surely, the silence was broken by Darcy and her very expressive mouth:

“Fucking shit!”

 

*

* *

 

Loki watched the foolish attempt to incapacitate him, resisting the urge to smile. That was enough – he hadn’t been especially subtle, talking to Darcy, dropping hints of who he really was, and now was time for him to have some real fun.

A green light flashed, enveloping him. A second later, the light disappeared, revealing Loki’s face instead of Odin’s. He watched Darcy’s reaction closely, please to see she was surprised, despite having put the pieces back together. Slowly, he moved further in the quarters, closing the distance between him and the girl.

“Now, miss Lewis, why should we hav-”

He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence, as Darcy took the opportunity of having him talk to surprise him with a violent whip of her (now useless) taser against his nose. The Trickster fell flat on his back, while blood exploded everywhere.

 

*

* *

 

“HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!” screamed Darcy at the top of her lungs.

She was pounding on the door, still locked, trying to get someone’s attention before Loki would stand up again. She didn’t want to face him now – not that she did before, but after being hit by her, Darcy had the feeling he would probably be pissed (best case scenario).

And, for the second time in less than ten minutes, the door opened directly in Darcy’s face. This time, however, she had time to dodge it.

Lady Sif was staring at her, eyes wide open, hand on the guard of her sword.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

_What the – the door was freaking locked! How did she…_

Darcy grabbed Thor’s friend by the arm and dragged her inside her quarters.

“Look! Oh, gosh, look!” she answered, panic making her voice shake.

But, where Loki had been laying down a second later, was only the immaculate floor, without any trace of blood. Darcy let go of Sif’s arm, uneasiness settling itself in her stomach.

“What is wrong, lady Darcy?”

_Okay. Don’t freak out. Explain calmly to Sif what happened. She will understand._

And so, taking a deep breath, Darcy said:

“I think I broke Loki’s nose.”

Sif froze on the spot. Then, after what appeared to be much consideration, she let out a sigh, explaining in a soft voice:

“Lady Darcy, I am not aware if you’ve heard, but Loki is dead.”

“I know, I know, but –”

“Are you alright? You seem a bit flushed.”

_Not wonders I’m flushed, with what is going on!_

Sif put her hands on Darcy’s shoulders, looking straight into her eyes.

“Was the ale too strong for you? I tend to forget Midgardians’ limitations.”

Darcy’s mouth opened by itself. Then, shaking Sif’s hands off, she crossed her arms on her chest.

“Seriously? You think I’m drunk? Look, Sif, I did not hallucinate, okay? Loki was just there, I swear! He came in, I tried to use my taser, but –”

“Maybe you should sleep, lady Darcy. Your day has been quite stressful – it has been for all of us, really.”

_Oh my God, is she really leaving me_ alone _here? While Loki’s somewhere, without anyone knowing? Like, for real? Shit!_

“Sif, I’m serious, Loki’s here, and he’s impersonating Odin, and –”

“Not at the moment”, interrupted Sif, a wicked smile growing on her face – smile way too familiar to Darcy.

_Oh, for fuck’s sake, are you kidding?_

She was never going back home, was she? Taking a deep breath (which absolutely did not help), Darcy closed her eyes, massaging her temples. The headache that had threaten her with its imminent arrival not long ago was now growing stronger by the second.

“Dude, cut the crap. I’m tired of your shit. Lose the disguise and talk to me. What do you want?”

_If I can’t escape, I’ll just have to talk my way out of this – or at least, try to buy some time before Thor gets there. Oh, talking about Thor, what is he doing? I bet Jane and him are making out. Fuck, seriously, I can’t blame them, but helloooo, the intern’s missing! Shouldn’t you be looking for her? I swear, people don’t have the right priorities._

“Come on now, miss Lewis”, said Loki, his appearance back to normal. “A little fun never harmed anyone.”

Darcy snorted.

“Yeah? Well, tell me, Dude, how’s your nose?”

The words passed her lips before she realized what she was saying; however, once she did, she knew she had made a mistake.

Loki’s hand shot towards her, grabbing her at the back of the neck, pulling her towards him. Gasping, Darcy looked up, her hands pushing against Loki’s chest, trying to get away. The Trickster inclined his head to the side, his long fingers brushing her skin lightly.

“Oh, I sure did miss having you around”, he purred.


	7. Dead end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit late again. Psych exam's got me all stressed. Meeeeh.  
> Enjoy!

“You can’t kill me.”

The words were only a whisper, but Loki heard them. He relaxed his hold on Darcy’s neck, and brought his other hand up to brush her hair out of the way.

“And why is that?” he asked.

She swallowed with difficulty.

“Too many people know that I’m here. Sif, Fandral, Volstagg, some guards…”

As she was speaking, Darcy started to gain back her confidence. Yeah, Dude definitely couldn’t kill her without blowing his cover. She just had to stall his murderous thoughts long enough for Thor to find her. It shouldn’t be too difficult; Darcy had done it once, two years ago; she could do it again, right?

“And get your hands off. _Fucking_ personal space, remember?” she added, for good measure.

To her most utter surprise, Loki actually let go of her, taking a step back while letting out a deep laugh.

“And here I was, thinking we had grown closer; how foolish of me”, he said, turning away from Darcy and opening the doors to her balcony. The cold wind of the night made her shiver once again – the dress she was wearing _was_ gorgeous, yes, but it wasn’t the warmest.

“Any chance you’re planning on jumping off?” she asked, half-serious, while searching the closet for a jacket, a hoodie, a blanket, _whatever_.

Loki did not answer, but the humming sound escaping from his lips told Darcy that, no, Dude was not suicidal tonight, and was still standing on the balcony, alive and well. Putting her hands in the pockets of the _thing_ she found (was it a shirt? Let’s call it a sweater), she took some careful steps towards the balcony, staying inside.

_I am NOT being thrown off into the void tonight, thank you very much._

“So, Dude, what now?” she asked, brushing her hair away from her eyes. “What’s your big play here? I don’t understand what you’re planning – not that I usually want to know, but man, it involves me, so spill the beans.”

Loki took a flower growing near the doors between his fingers, with an unknown gentleness, as if it was the most precious treasure in his possession.

“Silly little girl, she still thinks she is safe from the monster.”

And then, he crushed the flower in his hand. Darcy took a step back.

_What was that? Did he just pull a fucking metaphor on me? Like am I the fucking flower? What the hell, that wasn’t nice._

“You can’t –”

“I can’t kill you? Don’t be so sure of it, miss Lewis. Odin only has to give an order – without explanation, without any reason – and everyone bows down to him. They don’t have to know I am the one hiding behind his face; if I were to order your execution, no one would lift a finger to help you. They are too devoted to me to care about you.”

A mix of fear and anger started to boil in Darcy’s blood.

“They are devoted to your _father_ ”, she spitted.

In two steps, he was near her, crowding her small form.

 “This man is NOT my father!”

Darcy pushed her pointed finger into Loki’s chest to emphasize every word she said next:

“Don’t involve me in your daddy’s issues!”

Loki grabbed her by the wrist, lips in a snarl.

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you. An accident can happen so easily”, he threatened.

Darcy’s face fell as realization started to grow.

“You want me to be scared of you.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

_He thinks he’s a monster. Well, if you count all the people he had killed, he_ may _qualify, right? Is that it? Sudden remorse?_

Loki leaned in, searching her eyes.

“Are you?” he whispered.

Darcy snorted again.

“What do you think? Of course I am! But I guess…”

And, slowly, as if not to frighten a wounded animal, she reached for his face with her free hand. His cheek was not as cold as Darcy remembered; it radiated a pleasant warmth through her freezing fingers. Loki, eyes wide, froze on the spot.

“I’m not the only one”, Darcy completed. “And that’s fine – being scared is _okay_.”

The Trickster shook her off suddenly, avoiding her stare, and went back inside. She followed him, closing the doors behind her. At least, she wouldn’t turn into a human popsicle tonight.

“Dude, I –”

“Loki”, he interrupted.

Darcy arched a brow.

“Thought you liked the nickname. I personally dig it. But like, seriously, _Loki_ , what do you want?”

The Trickster was slowly pacing in the room, hands at his back, while explaining:

“You see, miss Lewis, I must admit that I truly enjoy having you around. However, we both know that, as soon as Thor arrives, you will tell him everything about me. And we cannot have that, now, can we?”

_Oh, fuck me. He’s giving me the ‘I told you about my evil plan, so now, I’ll have to kill you’ speech, right? It’s his own goddamn fault I know about it, in the first place!_

“So, in order to prevent that, let me try to… convince you”, Loki added.

And then, extending his hand towards Darcy in a sweet invitation, he said:

“Come here.”

Darcy did the only rational thing she could think off: she flipped him off. Obviously, the gesture was unknown to him, as he simply stood there, waiting. So, in order to make her point clear, Darcy articulated a very clear ‘fuck you’ while going for the bathroom.

“I’m going to change clothes; don’t you dare come in!” she warned. “Privacy, please.”

But, as soon as her hand reached for the doorknob, an iron grip tightened around her waist, spinning her around. Yelping, Darcy’s vision went blurry for a moment, and she suddenly felt sick. Her hands grabbed whatever part of Loki that she could without seeing anything as her brain was trying to comprehend _what the flying fuck was going on_.

A second later, her feet were back on the ground, the world had stopped spinning, and she could see normally again. Staring at Loki, Darcy was just about to give him an honest piece of her mind when he smiled, turned her around for the second time, and gave her a light push.

“What the – OH MY GOD!”

Stumbling, Darcy tried to regain her balance at the top of some dangerous, impressive, mean-looking waterfalls, where Loki had teleported them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might take a little more time for the next update: I'm trying to figure out where I'm going with this fic.  
> Feedback makes me squeal of joy xoxo :)


	8. Cat and mouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Found some inspiration! I particularly love this chapter, hope you'll do as well!  
> Enjoy xoxo

Regaining her balance, Darcy carefully took a step back, and another one, and another one, until she bumped her back against the god’s chest. She immediately jumped in his arms, refusing to let go.

_I am not falling down this thing, no fucking way!_

“BRING ME BACK!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, the waterfalls loud around them. A second later, the world was spinning again; once Darcy reopened her eyes, she was relieved to see the familiar quarters she was currently using.

Dropping to her knees, she resisted the urge to kiss the ground – the safe, away from death ground. The skirt of her dress, all wet from the water, was dripping on the floor. Darcy wiped her face off, slightly shaking.

“What was _that_ for?” she asked.

Crouching down to her level, the Trickster explained, offering Darcy his help to get back on her feet:

“Just a little incentive to discourage you from talking to Thor – or anyone else. Unless, of course, you wish to see the waterfalls from a closer perspective.”

_Oh, if he thinks he’s getting away with this, he’s fucking delusional._

And, as soon as she was standing again, Darcy swung her fist with all her strength in Loki’s direction. It landed just under his left eye, and she was delighted to hear a very satisfying breaking noise.

“You _fucking_ asshole!” she screamed, shaking her fist violently.

Damn, Dad never told her punching a douche would hurt _that_ much! Anyway, the pain was absolutely worth it – even if the god could heal in seconds, Darcy felt better, and that was all that mattered.

Of course, that feeling didn’t stay with her for long: the diabolical smile painting Loki’s lips was enough to convince her she had probably made another huge mistake tonight.

“So full of surprises. Alright, miss Lewis, let’s play.”

“No. Loki, there’s no game going on here!” she countered. “You leave me _the fuck alone_ , now, I’m not joking!”

That did absolutely nothing to help: in a quick step, he was on her; Darcy tried to push him off as hard as she could, to no avail. Seizing her wrists, Loki backed her up against the wall, her hands raised on each side of her head.

“For fuck’s sake, let me go!” Darcy screamed, trying to wiggle her way out of his hold. Loki’s laugh, the only answer to her plea, made her see red.

_You brought this on yourself, man. Say goodbye to your future kids._

And she raised her knee as fast and as hard as she could, aiming for his groin. This time, the gasp that came out of Loki’s lips and her now free left hand reassured her that she had hit the right spot. However, Darcy’s relief was cut short: Loki immobilized her, hand near her collarbone, fingers on her throat, knee between her legs to prevent any more assault.

“So feisty”, he purred, voice low in his throat. “I didn’t know you had such a _fire_ in yourself.”

“What the fuck, seriously,” Darcy said in disbelief.

Both of them were breathing hard; Darcy honestly believed her lungs were about to pop out of her chest any time.

_That’s what you get for skipping cardio, girl. Get that fucking gym membership, already – and fucking kickboxing classes, and a gun. Get a real fucking gun._

“Are we gonna stay like this or are you gonna stop being such a fucking dick?” she asked.

_This is fucking uncomfortable. How long will I have to tell him to get the fuck away from my fucking space? And why is he so fucking touchy all the time?_

Loki’s green, sparkling eyes, shot down to her lips, where they settled. Darcy froze as he suddenly leaned in, leaving her no escape – until, finally, she reacted by turning her head to the right. Loki, nose in her hair, mouth right at her ear, tensed.

“Stop it”, she demanded, trying to give a hint of anger to her voice.

_That is absolutely pathetic; you can’t do a goddamn thing, Darce._

Her breath got caught in her throat as Loki’s lips – warm, slightly chapped lips – brushed the sensitive skin of her neck, lightly kissing it.

“I am not a very patient man, Darcy”, he growled. “I did not forget what happened, the last time we crossed path.”

Another kiss, tongue out, sent shivers – although she couldn’t say if they were due to excitement or panic – down Darcy’s spine.

“I know what you are willing to give, and I want it _now_.”

_Oh, this is so_ not _happening._

“Don’t worry, I can be very generous as well”, Loki added, nibbling her earlobe.

After a moment during which all that could be heard was their heavy breathing, Darcy gathered what was left of her (faltering) courage and, facing Loki, raised her voice enough to say:

“Get off.”

After a couple of seconds during which the Trickster didn’t move, the grip on her arm and throat finally disappeared, just like the slender body of the god did from her personal space. Loki chuckled, smoothing his hair with one hand.

“Don’t think you can lie to yourself much longer, Darcy. Trust me on that.”

Covering her face with her hands, she sighed.

“Don’t you _fucking_ dare pretend to know what I think, okay? Get out, now. Leave me, I don’t wanna see your face right now. In fact, I don’t wanna see you _ever again_ , _capisce_?”

“Oh no, miss Lewis. I shall see you tomorrow. Until then, sleep well.”

And he _actually_ walked out, leaving her alone in her assigned quarters. Once Darcy could no longer hear Loki’s steps, she went for the door and tried to open it. It was no use: he had locked it back behind him.

Feeling defeated, Darcy let herself drop on the floor, hugging her knees close to her chest. So, first, Loki wasn’t dead; alright, good for him. Then, he threatened her; bad for Darcy. And afterwards, he… what exactly was that? Where did that come from?

_I don’t get this dude. I seriously don’t. And he’s fucking dreaming if he thinks anything’s gonna happen between us. Seriously, what the fuck was that speech? Oh, fuck me, I have to get out of here_ fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I outlined the rest of this fic, and came to the conclusion that there will be 14 chapters in total. I am planning on writing a third and final part, probably after May 6th (Civil War will probably inspire me!).


	9. Talk dirty to me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY. I know it's been longer than I intended, but here's an update!  
> Thank you for the wonderful feedback. And, as always, enjoy xoxo

The next morning was probably the worst of Darcy’s entire existence – yep, counting the numerous hangovers she had experienced before, _and_ the time she had been hostage to Loki, in a remote cabin in the woods of freaking _Canada_ (WITHOUT WIFI).

Currently seated at the same table she had eaten dinner at last night, Darcy was trying her best not to fall back asleep right there, while wishing for something magical to make her headache miraculously go away. Her sleep hadn’t been a very good one; she had kept waking up at the slightest sound and, when she managed to keep her eyes close for more than five minutes, horrifying nightmare had assaulted her – mostly, involving her painful death at the hands of Dude – or Loki, whatever.

And the worse was that Asgardians apparently had never heard of _coffee_. So, yeah, we could say that Darcy’s day was already a disaster.

She had hoped to see one of Thor’s friend this morning, in order to confess everything about Loki – screw his threats, really. Sadly, she hadn’t been lucky; Fandral, Volstagg, and Sif were nowhere to be found. The other Asgardians present did not appear quite approachable: they kept glancing at Darcy in a not-so inviting way, which discouraged her from talking to them.

_Whatever – their loss, Darce._

While eating her breakfast, she had come to a conclusion regarding Loki’s bizarre behaviour: he was craving attention. What else could explain his ever changing discourse about her fate? Impersonating his dad was probably quite stressful for him, and not being himself had to get on his nerves some way.

_I just wished he would find another way than harassing me like that – fuck, he never thought about joining a sports league? I don’t know, he’d probably be a good hockey player. That would let out some steam, without hurting poor little Darcy._

Once she had managed to eat most of what was in her plate, Darcy wandered a bit in the hallways of the castle. She was in no rush to go back to her room, and what chance would she have in the future to be a ‘guest’ on another planet? So she walked around, observing people, trying to make a mental list of things she’d have to talk about with Jane when she’d go back home.

 _If I do go back – no, Darce, don’t say that! Gosh, you_ are _going back home. Positive thoughts, remember!_

Right before turning on the left, she heard the now familiar voice of Odin. Darcy’s blood froze in her veins; after yesterday, she had promised herself she would avoid Loki until Thor’s return as much as she possibly could. She couldn’t stop him from doing whatever it is he was doing, but she could _at least_ avoid bumping into him!

Looking around for a way out, she just had the time to hide behind a large pillar before Odin, joined by a stern looking man (unknown to Darcy), walked right by her previous position.

“Reinforcing the wall is our priority; Malekith’s breach was a failure to us all.”

The rest of their conversation was lost to Darcy’s ears – which, truthfully, she didn’t mind.

 _Okay, enough for today, Darce. Time to go back to your room. You can probably find something to do while you wait for Thor in there – oh yeah, finding pants would be nice. Dresses are cute and all, but like, so_ not _practical._

She waited until both men had disappeared further down the hallway to let out a sigh – which almost turned into a shriek once a hand covered her mouth, two sparkling emerald eyes watching her with interest.

“Eavesdropping, miss Lewis?” Loki asked.

 _Oh, you’re in a playful mood, mister ‘I’ll fuck you up’? Like I give a shit_.

Darcy tried to say something, but the Trickster refused to move his hand – that is, until she tried to bite him, quite unsuccessfully.

“Did you just lick me?” he said, in apparent disbelief, wiping his palm on the back of his other hand.

Darcy rolled her eyes.

“Thought I told you to leave me alone! Whatever, I’m going. Bye.”

In a swift movement, Loki caught her by the elbow and made her spin around. Darcy, losing her balance, bumped into the Trickster’s chest. She scoffed.

_He’s like 3 years old, doing exactly the opposite of what I ask. Seriously, I doubt I want to have children, now._

“I was not finished, miss Lewis”, he stated, dragging her with him towards the closest room behind him.

“Oh, I am terribly sorry, _your Majesty_ ; I hadn’t realized”, she replied, admitting defeat (for now) and following him.

The room in which they ended up turned out to be a library; despite herself, Darcy thought of a similar situation happening in her favorite Disney movie.

_Yeah, except the Beast is not trying to kill Belle every time she breathes wrong._

Crossing her arms on her chest, the young girl said:

“Well, I’m listening. What’s up?”

“I believe”, Loki started, hands behind his back, “that we haven’t finished what we started last night.”

“You’re one persistent douche, you know that?”

Her head still hurting a bit (eating had helped the headache quite a lot, hadn’t made it completely go away), Darcy landed on a chair near a window with a loud, long sigh.

“Can’t you just leave the mortal alone? Look, I don’t get you, and I honestly don’t _want to_.

Loki snickered.

“We’ll see.”

Darcy bounced off her seat, anger boiling inside of her.

“In what language do I have to spell it for you? There’s _nothing_ , here, and even if there was, it would _never_ happen. Niet, nada, nunca, fromage!”

He frowned.

“And what has ‘cheese’ anything to do with this, miss Lewis?”

_Oh shit, really? Did I just say ‘cheese’ again? Fuck French._

“Forget the goddamn cheese, that’s not the point! I –”

A bright, multicolored flash of light appeared in the Asgardian day, through the window, cutting Darcy off. She moved towards the light, eyes wide.

“What is –”

“I believe our dearest Thor is finally home”, answered Loki right behind her.


	10. Uh-ho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay. Enjoy xoxo

In two steps, Darcy was at the library’s door. Half expecting to be stopped by Loki one more time (as if it hadn’t happened enough so far), she braced herself for whatever trick he had up his sleeve – which never came. Arching a brow, Darcy turned around; Loki hadn’t moved from his spot.

“No threat, this time?” she asked, not buying his play one second.

Loki simply smiled.

“I believe I don’t need to repeat myself regarding what will happen if you talk to Thor about _you know what_.”

“Pff, sure, whatever. Suits yourself.”

Loki got to the door right after her, letting himself out of the library and back into his Odin disguise. The rest happened so quickly it remained a blur in Darcy’s mind: Thor was with them and, after a bear-crushing hug that left her breathless (and a little nauseous), her friend disappeared with his “father” for some apparent urgent matter. Both men walked away, leaving a very confused (and aching) Darcy in the middle of another hallway.

_They could at least have left me at my quarters, or with a map! Shit, I don’t even know where I am – and I need to warn Thor as fast as possible about Daddy dearest._

So Darcy decided to wander around for a bit – if anything, Loki would probably appear again and take her back if she was wandering where she wasn’t supposed to. The man could apparently duplicate himself, after all; he probably had one of his clones (or illusions? How did he call them? Who knows) lurking in the shadows, following her every move. Creepy.

Darcy’s steps took her where the bright lights had shone, when Thor had returned. Taking careful steps into the curious dome leading to the bridge, Darcy looked around, captivated.

_I bet Jane had to be dragged from this place. Can’t believe my eyes!_

“Darcy Lewis, of Midgard”, announced a deep voice.

“Could you _fucking not_?” she yelled, a hand on her heart.

A tall figure dressed in gold approached her. The man’s eyes were just as warm as his helmet.

_Oh my God, is everyone on Asgard motherfucking top models, or what? Daaaaaamn._

“What brings you to my observatory?” the man asked, the corner of his lips lifted in a gentle smile.

“Boredom”, scoffed Darcy – which, technically, was half the truth. “And you are?”

“Heimdall. I watch over the Bifröst, which Thor will use to send you safely back on Midgard, Darcy Lewis.”

_Oh, wow, someone who doesn’t want to kill me on sight – what a sudden, unexpected change._

For a second, Darcy was almost inclined to reveal everything to Heimdall about Loki and Odin, but swallowed the words before she could form them. She didn’t know the guy, didn’t know if Thor could trust him – even worse, Heimdall could be on Loki’s side all along, who knew.

_And I would really appreciate it if I didn’t have to dive into the freaking Niagara Falls from Asgard, thank you very much._

No, she would have to wait, preferably, until she was safely back home, where Loki couldn’t reach her anymore.

“Hum, Dale? Is it okay if I walk on the bridge, or am I going to, I don’t know, fall to my death?” she risked. She had come all this way, she sure as hell wasn’t leaving without walking on a freaking rainbow-bridge first!

The god didn’t correct her on his name; he simply nodded, still smiling, and Darcy left his observatory (as he had called it) for the Bifröst.

_I am_ so _taking my shoes off for this._

Darcy wiggled her toes on the warm, pulsating surface of the bridge. She walked slowly, then faster, once she realized the bridge was _responding_ to her: where Darcy put her foot, a radiating glow would shine, creating perfect, luminous circles under her weight.

Darcy couldn’t tell for how long she danced on the Bifröst, but her fun abruptly came to an end once Thor came to her. Darcy’s breath caught in her throat, a mix or anticipation and relief blooming in her chest.

_That’s it, you’re going home, Darce._

But Thor’s expression made her realize that things were not looking as good as they should have. And, just as she had thought, her friend told her that her return on Earth would have to wait a little bit more, thanks to urgent matters he had to attend (after all, the Convergence had created some understandable chaos in the Nine Realms). And, just like that, he had left, followed by Fandral, Volstagg, and Sif.

_Oh my GOD, I’m fucked. Like, seriously, sadly, profoundly, fucked. I’m going to die here, I’m sure._

The only consolation thought Darcy could hold was that Thor was coming back tomorrow – unless a major problem came his way.

_Seriously, the worlds all turn upside down with the Convergence, and that guy only needs a day to put everything back in order? That’s crazy. Kinda wish he could be my personal maid – my apartment would always look flawless._

Alright, then. Darcy only had to survive twenty-four more hours on Asgard. She could probably just sleep until Thor’s return (she had slept for extensively long periods of time before, you know, once finals were over), but the perspective of being unaware of what Loki could do was enough persuasion to stay awake. So, while walking back to the castle, after a loud ‘Bye, Dale!’ addressed to Heimdall, Darcy tried to find a way out of whatever the hell was going on with Loki.

_It’s Billy Thompson all over again._

Billy Thompson was a guy from high school who had been a little too insistent with her – especially after Darcy had told him repeatedly that she wasn’t into him and never would. It hadn’t taken her a long time to realize that what he liked the most were the _reactions_ Darcy would have to him. Once she simply had started to ignore him and to stop reacting, he had stopped.

_Who knows, what’s the worst that could happen? Oh, no, Darcy, don’t think about the worst, please, you’ll make yourself sick. Happy thoughts, alright? Like a good beer, or the ale you drank yesterday – oh, no, girl, you’re not drinking tonight. Uh-oh. You’ll get drunk_ home _._

But the perspective of having to face Loki completely sober was so depressing that Darcy seriously contemplated the idea of getting completely wasted that night.


	11. I wanna tear you apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the song of the same name by "She Wants Revenge". I highly recommend it (suits Loki just perfectly, I think).  
> As always, thanks for the comments and kudos. Makes my little heart happy!  
> Enjoy xoxo

Darcy had managed to go through her day with ease (and without alcohol); Loki had apparently been too busy to harass her, and she hadn’t realized time had gone by as she strolled through the gardens. This planet was truly magnificent, and Darcy only wished she could have been reunited here with Jane; seeing the world through her friend’s scientific eyes would have been quite the experience – maybe a bit boring, too, but Darcy would have gladly paid that price to be with her bestie, right now.

After yet another copious meal, which guards had thankfully delivered to her quarters (she preferred to be alone for now, and they apparently understood that quite fast), Darcy had retired to her balcony, ‘sweater’ back on, and was enjoying the sunset pouring its lights on the city. It was a gorgeous view.

Legs crossed on the chair she had pulled on the balcony (with pants, now, finally), head tilted back, eyes closed, Darcy really should have seen Loki coming – the setting was probably too perfect to resist, for him. However, for once completely relaxed, Darcy hadn’t thought about the imminent arrival of the god, and had had another glorious reaction:

“Motherfucker!”

Seriously, the heart attack was about to happen, she could feel it.

Loki chuckled, hands behind his back (his apparent favorite standing position).

“Pardon my intrusion, lady Darcy”, he offered. She scoffed, but remained silent.

_Ignore him, he’ll go away._

She had practically convinced herself of her own words; Loki wasn’t moving, her heart beat was back to normal, and she felt herself drifting to sleep, her eyes closing again, slowly, and –

“You don’t have to go back to Midgard yet. You could stay.”

Darcy’s eyes opened wide. Had she heard what she thought she had?

 _Fuck it, I’m not ignoring_ that.

“And why the hell would I do that?” she asked, voice harsh.

Loki kneeled in front of her chair, arms on each side of her thighs. He wasn’t threatening – not yet – but Darcy would certainly have been more comfortable if Loki had been further away from her.

“Because I would like you to stay”, was his answer.

Darcy sneered.

“Yeah? Well, the fastest I get away from here and _from you_ , the happier I’ll be. Oh, by the way, do you realize you’re _kneeling_ in front of a mere mortal? How’s your ego?”

Loki put his hands on her knees, lightly, not restraining her in any way.

“Oh, lady Darcy”, he purred, “if I could, I would kneel in front of you every day.”

“What the…”

_Abort mission, abort, abort! Dude’s fucking nuts! That’s sexual harassment, girl! Get the fuck away!_

Darcy got up, surprising Loki with her sudden movement. She walked right past him, going back inside. She turned around to face him, face hard.

“I don’t get you.”

His hand was in her hair a second later, fingernails lightly scratching the nape of her neck.

“I am just as confused by what I feel, trust me on that. But when everyone shut the monster away, you were the one who welcomed him with open arms. I always thought compassion was a weakness, but yours has proven itself to be a fearsome strength.”

And then, inclining his head, Loki placed his forehead against Darcy’s.

“You make me feel at peace with myself – and trust me, this is not easily achieved.”

Darcy tried to take a step back, but Loki’s free arm shot out, circling her waist, trapping her against his chest. She sighed.

“You got a nice way of showing that you like a girl. That was sarcasm, in case you didn’t get it.”

Suddenly, Darcy just stopped standing: she let go and dropped on the floor. Surprised, Loki had the reflex to hold her tighter against him. She wiggled around, screaming in frustration, until she ended up on the floor, the Trickster finally releasing her. He sat down in front of her, eyebrows furrowed.

_Oh, well, acting like a pissed kid apparently works with him – kids understand each other, I guess?_

“I’m not your fucking toy”, said Darcy between clutched teeth. “So find something else to entertain you.”

_Where the hell does that come from, him being all lovey-dovey? We spent, what, two days together? Man, he’s got bigger issues than I thought if that’s all he needed to get attached to someone…_

“Lady Darcy, I –” said Loki, silently moving towards her.

“Uh-ho, mister. You stay away.”

He looked at her as if a second head had suddenly appeared next to her first one.

“Don’t you realize what is going on here, mortal? I, the ruler of Asgard, am courting you – are you _refusing me_?”

“That’s how you flirt? Okay, flash news: you suck at it. I don’t know about here, but when a girl says again and again and again to a guy that she wants him to _back the fuck off_ , that means she’s not interested. I’m not playing hard to get, here, okay? I just don’t want… whatever you think you want.”

Loki chuckled, a hand on his face.

“Oh, silly little girl. As if you had a say in the matter.”

Darcy crossed her arms on her chest, completely unimpressed.

“See? That’s the problem right here: you don’t listen to what I say.”

“I trust your actions more than your words, that is all. You were the one who started it all, lady Darcy”, Loki explained, getting slowly, dangerously closer to her. And, because Darcy didn’t reply anything, he added: “On Midgard, remember? You showed your interest in a rather… explicit way.”

_Sure, pick up my desire to stay alive for freaking signals that I want to get in your pants – what the hell!_

“I can’t believe you”, she hissed between her teeth. “That didn’t mean anything.”

Loki clicked his tongue, his hand taking Darcy’s ankle in its grip.

“Not the kisses, Darcy. Even I can understand what they were; I’m talking about what I was referring to, a moment ago: your compassion. You held me through the night; when morning came, I knew I couldn’t kill you.”

Darcy kicked her foot free, getting back to her feet.

“Whatever, man. All of this won’t matter tomorrow. I’ll leave, you’ll find yourself a nice little Asgardian chick, and you’ll have ten children together. Just like in a fairytale, right? And I’ll make sure Thor kicks your skinny little ass into outer-space once I tell him about – _holy fuck_ I just spoke out loud, right?”

Antagonistically slowly, Loki got to his feet, towering above Darcy, a dangerous sparkle dancing in his green eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always appreciated ;)


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